Medals of the Series
Numismatica Universalis Virorum Illustrium
Figure 1 Franklin by CaquŽ
From our friend Jean Vacherot:
Pierre AmŽdŽe DURAND (1789-1873) was well known as a sculptor, a medal engraver and a producer of medals. In this latter capacity, no doubt influenced by the success that greeted the GalŽrie MŽtallique des Grands Hommes FranŤais in 1816, he undertook in 1817 the issue of a universal series of medals of famous men, calling upon some of the best known engravers.
In accordance with the regulations of the Ordinance of 5 Germinal, year 17 (March 25, 1809) and the Royal Ordinance of July 22, 1816, which gave to the Mint Administration a monopoly of the striking of medals, Durand had an initial series of medals struck there. These, issued between 1817 and 1826, have no inscription or punch mark on their edge.
But Durand considered this monopoly an infringement on commercial freedom and harmful to his own interests and sought to have it repealed. When this effort failed, he decided to seek out a foreign mint, specifically that of Munich, to which he sent his dies. To distinguish these medals, it was decided to put the inscription MONACHII [Latin for Ôin MunichŐ] on their edges. To my knowledge, no French medals other than those of the Durand series carry this inscription.
Figure 2 Descartes by Henrionnet
Eventually, relations improved between Durand and the French Mint Administration and he again entrusted his dies to the Mint, either for restriking from the old dies or for the striking of new medals, produced between 1844 and 1846. These medals have on their edge a punch of the French Mint (either the prow of a ship or a pointing hand) as well as the word CUIVRE [copper].
To my knowledge, the Series Numismatica Universalis Virorum Illustrium includes more than 150 individuals, but if one takes into account die and edge variants, the total is more than 400 varieties.
Jean Vacherot
Except as otherwise noted, all offered here are struck bronze, 41 mm., and without edge stamps.
Individual Country Artist Year Edge
Addison, Joseph Great Britain Rogat 1823
DŐAguesseau, FranŤois France Rogat 1826
Aldrovandi, Ulise Italy Peuvrier 1823
Alfieri, Vittorio Italy Donadio 1820
Alighieri, Dante Italy Gayrard 1819
Ariosto, Ludovico Italy Vivier 1820 MONACHII
Ariosto, Ludovico Italy Vivier 1820
Bacon, Francis Great Britain CaquŽ 1823
Bacon, Roger Great Britain Gayrard 1818
Banier, Johann Sweden Wolf 1826
Bembo, Pietro Italy Veyrat 1823
Bergman, Thornbern Sweden Salmson 1826
Boccacio, Giovanni Italy Wolff 1823
Figure 3 Lagrange by Donadio
Boerhaave, Herman Netherlands Vivier 1819
Bossuet, Jacques-Benigne France Peuvrier 1823
Brahe, Tycho Sweden Rogat 1825
Bucer, Martin France-Alsace Wolf 1824 MONACHII
Bucer, Martin France-Alsace Wolf 1824
Buonarotti, Michelangelo Italy Gayrard 1819
Calvani, Luigi Italy CaquŽ 1823
Calvin, Johann Switzerland Gayrard 1818
Camden, William Great Britain CaquŽ 1823
Cam›es, Luis Portugal CaquŽ 1821
Cassini, Giovanni Domenico France / Italy Peuvrier 1823
Catharine II Russia Pingret 1826
Cervantes, Miguel Spain Gayrard 1818
Charles V HRE, Spain Gayrard 1821
Christian IV Denmark Peuvrier 1823
Cimarosa, Domenico Italy Barre 1818
Columbus, Christopher Italy Petit 1819
Congreve, William Great Britain CaquŽ 1819
Cook, James Great Britain Smith 1823
Copernicus, Nicholas Prussia [Poland] Petit 1818
Copernicus, Nicholas Poland Godel 1820
Coreggio, Antonio Allegri da Italy Donadio 1822 MONACHII
Coreggio, Antonio Allegri da Italy Donadio 1822
CortŽs, Hern‡n Spain Vivier 1821
Cranach, Lucas Germany CaquŽ 1923 MONACHII
Cranach, Lucas Germany CaquŽ 1923
Cromwell, Oliver Great Britain Smith 1846 prow CUIVRE
Descartes, RenŽ France Henrionnet 1822
Erasmus Netherlands Pingret 1823
Fox, James Great Britain Wolf 1823
FranŤois I France Gayrard 1819
Franklin, Benjamin U.S.A. CaquŽ 1818
Gellert, Christian F. Germany Brandt 1821
Galilei, Galileo Italy Gayrard 1818
Gessner, Salomon Switzerland Vivier 1818
Gluck, C. W. Germany Gayrard 1818
Goujon, Jean France Veyrat 1826
GrŽtry, A. E. Modeste Belgium CaquŽ 1823
Grotius, Hugo Belgium CaquŽ 1823
Gustav I Sweden Salmson 1826
Guttemberg, Johannes Germany Gayrard 1818
Haller, Albert von Switzerland CaquŽ 1821
HŠndel, G. F. Germany Wolff 1823
Figure 4 Harvey by Binfield
Harvey, William Great Britain Binfield 1823
Haydn, Joseph Austria Gatteaux 1818
Hoffmann, Friedrich Germany Wolf 1823
Huygens, Christian Netherlands Henrionnet 1821
Johnson, Samuel Great Britain Smith 1823
Kant, Emmanuel Germany Rogat 1825
Kepler, Johann Germany CaquŽ 1823
Klopstock, Friedrich Germany CaquŽ 1820
Kosciuszko, Thaddeus Poland Caunois 1818
Lacaille, Louis France Schmit 1824
Lagrange, Joseph-Louis Italy Donadio 1822 white metal
Lavater, Johann Caspar Switzerland Leveque 1818
Le Fort, FranŤois Switzerland Petit 1819
Leo X Papacy Armand, C. 1823
Leonardo da Vinci Italy Vivier 1825
Linnaeus, Carl Sweden Dubois 1818 MONACHII
Linnaeus, Carl Sweden Dubois 1818
Locke, John Great Britain Caunois 1819
Locke, John Great Britain Caunois 1821
Lope de Vega, Felix Spain Rogat 1825
Louis XIV France CaquŽ 1823
Luther, Martin Germany Depaulis 1821
Mohammet II Turkey CaquŽ 1823
Mansfeldt, Ernst von Germany Wolf 1826
Mauritz I Netherlands Pingret 1823 MONACHII
Milton John [with collar] Great Britain Vivier 1818
Milton John [with ruff] Great Britain Vivier 1818
MoliŹre, J. P. de France CaquŽ 1821
MoliŹre, J. P. de France CaquŽ 1821 MONACHII
Moreau, Victoire France Caunois 1819 MONACHII
Moreau, Victoire France Caunois 1819
Mozart, Wolfgang A. Austria CaquŽ 1821
Newton, Isaac Great Britain Petit 1819
Oxenstein, Axel Sweden Salmson 1821
Pascal, Blaise France Pingret 1823
Peter the Great Russia Pingret 1823
Petrarca, Francesco Italy Jeuffroy 1819
Piccini, Nicolo Italy CaquŽ 1823
Pope, Alexander Great Britain Vivier 1824
Rameau, Jean-Philippe France Armand 1823
Sacchini, Antonio Italy 1823
Sanzio, Raffaello Italy CaquŽ 1823
Schiller, Friedrich Germany Barre 1819
Sixtus V Papacy CaquŽ 1823
Tasso, Torquato Italy CaquŽ 1820
Thou, J. Auguste de France Rogat 1823
Tilly, N. Jean Belgium Pingret 1824
Valleta, E. J. France Vivier 1825
Van Dyck, Anton Belgium Wolff 1823
Vesalius, Andreas Belgium Lefevre 1820
Vesalius, Andreas Belgium Lefevre 1820 MONACHII
Vicelli, Tiziano Italy DuprŽ 1823
Wallensteinm Albrecht von Czechoslovakia Wolff 1824
Washington, George U.S.A. Vivier 1819
Werner, Abraham Germany Armand 1823
De Witt, John Netherlands Pingret 1826
Collections des Hommes Illustres
Saussure, Horace B. de Switzerland Bovy, A. 1823 silver